Key exercises to relieve back pain

It is necessary to maintain an active care of the area through some basic gestures. Back pain is very common and, with the lifestyle we have, few people get rid of it. But there are small daily gestures that can be made to relieve the pain and, in turn, prevent it.

“It is so common because we live mainly sedentary lives with very static jobs, and in general, little physical exercise is done, static postures are maintained for many hours a day, which generate a stiffness or muscular tension that translates into pain. back, and in that flexibility is lost “, explains in an interview with Infosalus María Eugenia Sánchez Llano, deputy secretary of the permanent board of the Spanish Association of Physiotherapists (AEFI).

This expert, who works in the health center of Mejostilla (Cáceres), points to two ways to relieve pain :

1.Do some physical exercise

Work flexibilization and stretching, do muscle work. For this, it indicates the 3 daily exercises, brief, that could favor this relief and pain improvement.

2.To work on postural hygiene

To look at what are the postures that we maintain throughout the day in our daily activities, to correct them and avoid injury. Here he says that it is very important to attend to how weights and burdens are handled because this also generates a lot of pain and reminds us how children suffer a lot of back pain because of books and backpacks, or because of the incorrect postures that they adopt. study.

“These measures will come better than any other specific physiotherapy treatment or any analgesic that we take. Which will relieve us promptly.” If we do not participate in the active care of our back, this may relieve us at the moment but will not help us to avoid pain. For this reason, self-care is fundamental “, the specialist emphasizes.

The three key exercises to avoid back pain

1.Basic cervical area exercises

“We sit on a chair with a backrest, feet must reach the floor, arms relaxed along the body, this exercise consists of performing the three movements of the neck arriving at the end of each journey and keeping a little, a few seconds To start, lower your head down as much as you can, and keep a few seconds, then raise it up as much as you can, and keep a few seconds and with your mouth closed everything Then, turn both sides of the head as much as possible and keep seconds, finally, tilt the head towards the ear and keep it on both sides “.

2. Exercises in the dorsal area

“Sitting on a stool, proceed to make turns towards one side and towards the other. With the arms extended forward, reach the end of the route and stay on. another with the arm above head extended “.

3.To strengthen the lower back

“Lying on the floor, in a blanket or on a rug, bring two knees to the chest and keep a few seconds. This stretch serves to relieve lumbar strain”. In the opinion of the physiotherapist AEFI, above all, it is “very recommendable” to carry out these exercises. If you are spending a lot of time in the same position, such as studying, reading, sewing or working on the computer. Also, advise stopping every 20-25 minutes, change posture, stretch, and continue doing the activity.

Finally, Sánchez Llano indicates that it is advisable to go to the specialist when the back pain becomes persistent. Does not improve the performance of these daily exercises, or with analgesics, if a tingling sensation or numbness appears. The pain is radiated towards the limbs of the body, and if the pain does not improve after a while.